There are dog people and there are cat people. I'm a dog person. I'm indifferent to cats and for the most part I think cats are bitchy roommates who don't pay rent. For some odd reason, cats LOVE me. Which is even more annoying. I can't tell you how often the comment, "Don't worry about the cat, he won't bother you, he hates everyone" is followed by the very same cat on my lap up in my face. Yuck. My roommate Russ is a dog person as well. Which would explain why we have such a great relationship with our border collie "Jacob Manuel Ramirez" (pictured above). The thing about cats is they're self-sufficient. You can get a cat and lose interest in it and as long as there is food, water and a clean litter box, they'll be fine. Dogs are very different. Dogs need attention and love and care and TIME. Dogs take a lot of effort and energy. If you get bored with a dog after a few weeks, then the dog is screwed. Big time. Also, you should never get a dog if you're the only one in the household who really wants one. The dog will become afraid and wary of the other people in the house and it will make for a very uncomfortable household. I've known more than a few non-dog-people who got dogs. It's so sad to be around those dogs. They have the perpetual "Get me out of here!" look on their faces. They mope around, cower away from people and are just generally depressed. Also, you should never get a dog if for at least the first year, you can't spend A LOT of time with your dog. Luckily for Russ and I, when we first got Jake we had very staggered work schedules so we were able to spend quite a bit of time with him. Two and a half years later, we still have staggered work schedules and Jake only spends three days alone. I think the toughest thing for a dog person to realize is that there are people who are not only NOT dog people, but actually do not like dogs. I know, when you have the cutest dog on the planet, you can't imagine why every single person in the world doesn't want your dog to come up and say "hi." Even worse, it sucks when you have a friend who isn't a dog person. We had one of those, he rarely came over and when he did you could see the absolute disdain on his face when Jake would come say hi. I just stopped inviting him over. Why am I talking about dogs today in my blog? Driving to work, one of the talk radio stations was doing a story on the number of 6-8 month old dogs that are being dropped off at shelters in droves this time of year. Yup, you guessed it, that Christmas puppy's newness finally wore off and the owners are getting rid of it. Can you imagine how horrible these dogs lives must have been? Do you know how long most people neglect and ignore a dog/puppy before they finally take it to a shelter? A very long time. And most of these dogs act out for attention, so many are dropped off having been beaten and abused. It's so sad. Dogs are full of so much love. It's all they want to give. I love my dog so much, I can't imagine neglecting or abusing him. I'm including this article I found online about why NOT to get a puppy for Christmas. And for any person thinking of getting a dog or puppy, you should read this. Also note that pet stores are the WORST place to buy a dog. These dogs come from puppy farms where they are often abused, neglected and inbred. Dogs from pet stores are sometimes impossible to train, prone to illness and disease, as well as almost impossible to crate train.
Why NOT to get a puppy for Christmas!
Christmas morning. Jimmy and Susie rush down the stairs in their pj's and shriek with delight. Santa has finally yielded to their incessant requests: A sweet, wriggling puppy is waiting for them beneath the tree, adorable in his big red bow. It's love at first sight. The puppy slurps the kids' faces then curls up on their laps. The children beam. The camcorder rolls.
This could be a mess.
Even if your kids don't pester you all year for a dog, which they probably did, TV ad campaigns and treacly movies will make sure you can picture how lovely it would be to bring a puppy home for the holidays. Don't succumb.
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Why is a Christmas dog a mistake?
First, because no animal should be a surprise. The arrival of a dog changes a household considerably—for years. Someone has to take responsibility for their daily needs—feeding, exercise, health care, grooming. The decision should be thought about, talked about, negotiated. A new dog, not necessarily a puppy, either, should be the result of a process, not an impulse.
Kids can be unreliable; kids change. The puppy melts their hearts for a few days or weeks. But then it needs to be walked every day (in the rain). It needs careful attention to its feeding and eliminating if it's going to be housebroken effectively. It needs to be taught not to jump on Grandma. The kids oohing and aahing under the tree will soon move on to IMing and texting their friends. Few children outside of 4-H programs and Future Farmers of America want to be tied down to conscientious animal care, and their parents are often no more enthusiastic. Reality will soon supersede the Christmas morning fantasy.
The bigger problem with the Christmas pup is that good dogs are usually unavailable for holiday giving. Hardly any ethical dog provider will support the idea of a dog as a surprise present. Good breeders have carefully constructed breeding programs that are rarely tied to the idea of seasonal gifts, unless arrangements have been made with people they know well far in advance. Breeders don't want their dogs to end up in households where nobody understands the work involved in raising them. Experienced rescue group volunteers and shelter workers hate the whole idea of the Christmas dog because they know many of those dogs will be coming back to them.
The dogs that are readily available at Christmas are the kind you probably don't want. Puppy mills grind out thousands of puppies to meet holiday demand. They're the dogs you find in pet stores and malls—cute as puppies but often inbred, poorly socialized, and more prone to genetic health problems like allergies or bad hips or to behavioral difficulties like compulsive barking or chewing.
For Christmas, get the kid an Xbox 360, or an iPod. They'll love it and use it. You don't have to clean up after it, and if they lose interest, you won't have to walk it in the middle of a snowstorm.
If you and your family really want a dog, choose it carefully, and take your time. Get one from a reputable breeder, an experienced rescue group, or an established animal shelter. Ask lots of questions about the dog; expect the breeder or staff to ask you a lot, too. If they don't, be wary. A store clerk or amateur breeder who simply hands you a dog in exchange for your credit card is not your friend. Experienced dog people know the dogs they sell and the people they are selling them to. And don't worry if the dog comes to you in April instead of on Christmas morning. It will be just as adorable without the tree and the bow.
Why NOT to get a puppy for Christmas!
Christmas morning. Jimmy and Susie rush down the stairs in their pj's and shriek with delight. Santa has finally yielded to their incessant requests: A sweet, wriggling puppy is waiting for them beneath the tree, adorable in his big red bow. It's love at first sight. The puppy slurps the kids' faces then curls up on their laps. The children beam. The camcorder rolls.
This could be a mess.
Even if your kids don't pester you all year for a dog, which they probably did, TV ad campaigns and treacly movies will make sure you can picture how lovely it would be to bring a puppy home for the holidays. Don't succumb.
placeAd2('homepage/slate','midarticleflex',true)
Why is a Christmas dog a mistake?
First, because no animal should be a surprise. The arrival of a dog changes a household considerably—for years. Someone has to take responsibility for their daily needs—feeding, exercise, health care, grooming. The decision should be thought about, talked about, negotiated. A new dog, not necessarily a puppy, either, should be the result of a process, not an impulse.
Kids can be unreliable; kids change. The puppy melts their hearts for a few days or weeks. But then it needs to be walked every day (in the rain). It needs careful attention to its feeding and eliminating if it's going to be housebroken effectively. It needs to be taught not to jump on Grandma. The kids oohing and aahing under the tree will soon move on to IMing and texting their friends. Few children outside of 4-H programs and Future Farmers of America want to be tied down to conscientious animal care, and their parents are often no more enthusiastic. Reality will soon supersede the Christmas morning fantasy.
The bigger problem with the Christmas pup is that good dogs are usually unavailable for holiday giving. Hardly any ethical dog provider will support the idea of a dog as a surprise present. Good breeders have carefully constructed breeding programs that are rarely tied to the idea of seasonal gifts, unless arrangements have been made with people they know well far in advance. Breeders don't want their dogs to end up in households where nobody understands the work involved in raising them. Experienced rescue group volunteers and shelter workers hate the whole idea of the Christmas dog because they know many of those dogs will be coming back to them.
The dogs that are readily available at Christmas are the kind you probably don't want. Puppy mills grind out thousands of puppies to meet holiday demand. They're the dogs you find in pet stores and malls—cute as puppies but often inbred, poorly socialized, and more prone to genetic health problems like allergies or bad hips or to behavioral difficulties like compulsive barking or chewing.
For Christmas, get the kid an Xbox 360, or an iPod. They'll love it and use it. You don't have to clean up after it, and if they lose interest, you won't have to walk it in the middle of a snowstorm.
If you and your family really want a dog, choose it carefully, and take your time. Get one from a reputable breeder, an experienced rescue group, or an established animal shelter. Ask lots of questions about the dog; expect the breeder or staff to ask you a lot, too. If they don't, be wary. A store clerk or amateur breeder who simply hands you a dog in exchange for your credit card is not your friend. Experienced dog people know the dogs they sell and the people they are selling them to. And don't worry if the dog comes to you in April instead of on Christmas morning. It will be just as adorable without the tree and the bow.
